KISS bassist Gene Simmons appeared in an unusual venue this past Saturday. Gene’s fans are used to see the monster rocker in full makeup spitting blood and fire on stage with KISS, but this past weekend Simmons made a surprise appearance at a Sioux Falls benefit concert for Sioux Falls Boys & Girls Clubs members.
Simmons spoke on the importance of music as a way to boost self-esteem in kids, as reported by Billboard: “It doesn’t matter if you become a star. If you don’t believe in yourself and get up on stage, everybody is watching. You can feel the power … and it helps you get through life, especially when you’re impressionable.”
Motley Crüe singer Vince Neil was also at the event, speaking on the same issues as Simmons: “Say you finish your first song, it could be `Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ it doesn’t matter, but at least it’s something you’ve played, and I think for kids, they could go into a whole other direction because they accomplished something.”